Group exercise routines, dancing, double dutch teams, fitness contests, smiles and laughter accurately depicts what took place at the 2nd Annual Fit Fathers Day (FFD) celebration. Typical Father’s Day ideas consist of brunches or cookouts so the Fit Fathers team decided to shake things up a bit. We brought the celebration back to Veterans Plaza in Downtown Silver Spring, MD from 10 am to Noon, still leaving time for families to go along with their regularly scheduled plans. Fit Fathers, DaddysCool.com and Powerful Beyond Measure came together to show fathers the importance of being health conscious and leading by example through positive, nutritional choices. The Fit Fathers Foundation believes health, fitness and nutrition can help fathers live longer and challenges all dads to eat clean, stay active and continuously energize their lives!

Ladies plank contest winner and family

An energetic Social Workout was led by Fit Fathers’ founder Kimatni Rawlins, celebrity trainer Michael Bance and 12-year-old fitness guru Jodi Evans, while DJ Blinks mixed sounds behind a stellar Bose audio system to keep everyone entertained. A special 80s and 90s music mix was put together for our special Terminator Genisys movie workout. Movie posters, premiere tickets and t-shirts were given to the FFD attendees. With fitness contests, family workout and activities, inflatable obstacle course, healthy snacks, health screenings, gift bags and demonstrations, this Father’s Day event had something for everyone. Another highlight was the timed fitness course that crowned James Swink Mr. Fit Father 2015. He won four Yokohama tires as the grand prize.

Also, NFL players Jason McCourty of the Tennessee Titans and Adrian Coxson of the Green Bay Packers, who attended the celebration, served as Fit Fathers’ National Ambassadors for the momentous occasion.

We thanked attendees for supporting our cause with prizes and giveaways courtesy of Aspire Beverages, City Sports, SOULCYCLE, Bose Audio, Under Armor, Shoe City and Mothers car care. Through social media and the use of the hashtag #FitFathersDay appearing across multiple newsfeeds, there is already an air of anticipation for Fit Fathers Day 2016. We greatly appreciate our sponsors and partners who recognized the vision and helped bring FFD to fruition. A very special thank you is in order for all the patrons and volunteers.

Although Fit Fathers Day is a special occasion to recognize dads during their time of celebration, our mission is to also become active with, moms, kids and families throughout the year. Stay tuned for more Fit Fathers events as we move forward to engage with different communities around the country. Enjoy the photo gallery.

Becoming a new father can be overwhelming no matter the age but a new study shows that men in their early 20’s are 68 percent likley to suffer from depression during fatherhood. The survey was taken over a 20 year period from 1994 to 2014 and included over 10,000 men who became fathers between the ages of 24 and 32.

The findings published in Pediatrics on April 14, state the risk of paternal depression during the first five years of fatherhood rose 10 percent in the younger fathers as opposed to the older men. The study done by The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health is very important as not a lot of attention has been paid to depression of father’s and how it can affect a child’s development.

The study also showed a greater incidence of depression among fathers who lived with their children, and even higher levels of depression among black and Hispanic fathers.

What is not clear is how accurate this survey is with the 10 questions asked of the men regarding feelings of unhappiness, how well-liked they felt, and if they were tired. I think young men are much less settled, so they naturally want to do and feel they are missing more, which can make them feel most stressed. Older men have done quite a bit usually and are more set in their ways so questions hit them in a different way.

The bottomline is the discussion has begun and some attention is being paid to fathers as it relates to paternal depression. It is something worth investigating more.

My twins , now 7, were born premature and Children’s Medical Center was vital to their development. Saturday, October 5th, we give back. Calling Fathers, sons, daughters and families join DaddysCool and Fit Fathers for a 5k Race for Every Child. The event will help fund specialized medical care, research into childhood diseases, and important wellness and preventive services to keep all children healthy through supporting Children’s National Medical Center.

DaddysCool will be out there running and included is a dash for kids 10 – Under, so the kids can be apart of it. My son, Arin, one of the aforementioned preemies will be running.

Join the Hyundai Hope On Wheels team t for this high-profile DC-area family fun run/walk to raise awareness of Pediatric Cancer. Sign up today for the #Race4EveryChild 5K by joining our team. Please select “join a team” and choose “Hyundai Hope On Wheels” under the “corporate” menu.

About last week … Dammit #SCOTUS … One step forward, 48 (years of) steps back! #Voting_Rights_Act effectively neutered. Within hours, Texas moves to enact laws that will most assuredly disenfranchise Black, Brown, and low-income voters! Other southern states affected likely to follow suite. Outraged at these developments. Equally outraged at the complacency, apathy, and lack of vigilance that allows this to happen! The United States has to do better, lest our children will not have the same rights we have – rights her/our ancestors prayed, marched, fought, and died for. Fathers take note. Read a little more here.

There are many black men in this city who are considered to be nothing but statistics: Another ex-con. An unskilled, unemployed worker. A deadbeat dad.

Twenty-five-year-old James McClain is trying to transcend the labels.He spent three and a half years in Jessup Correctional Institution in Maryland on a drug charge. He’s been out since 2008 and for nearly each of his days as a free man he’s taken care of his six-year-old son, Jehrylle- alone. McClain received full custody from the court earlier this year. The struggle is a daily one: They’ve slept in homeless shelters and on relative’s couches.

Do you realize what it would mean to your child to have you there on the first day of school?

Monday August 22, join the Million Father March in Washington, DC

IT’S SIMPLE.

Take your kids to school … Leave an impression and be an example.

Your decision to take a few hours out of your day will make a difference in your child’s spirit and show

the world how important your child is to you.

One Day makes a World of Difference

Join the movement in 700 cities to be a positive force in records number this month.

August 22 MEN LEAD THE WAY. Take your child back to school.

WHAT TO DO:

Sun., Aug. 21 –

POP RALLY – to get us pumped, network and unwind before the big first day.

MARTINS Restaurant and Lounge 1919 9th St. 2pm-6pm

Mon, Aug. 22 –

Wear a plain White T shirt (signifier to Million Father March)

Take your child to school

Take a few minutes to Meet their teachers and principal

visit our MILLION FATHER MARCH DC FACEBOOK page to click “I’m Attending” and check in on the EVENT WALL – Let us know what school(s) you are taking your kid(s)

DADDYSCOOL.COM and RETURNING CITIZENS UNITED are officially registered to bring the Million Father March to DC. Our partners include: 100 Fathers, Inc., Serenity Inc., Alliance of Concerned Men, Captain Fly. MORE partners to be announced. TO be a partner to get the word out CONTACT: Mike Tucker mike@daddyscool.com 202.487.6453 or Yango Sawyer 202.270.1098

The 2011 Million Father March is managed by The Black Star Project, U.S.A. and sponsored by the Schott Foundation for Public Information, in partnership with the National PTA and the National Fatherhood Initiative. Also visit our website at www.blackstarproject.org to bring the Million Father March.

** The Black Star Project, U.S.A. is sponsoring the Million Father March 2011 on the first-day-of-school in nearly 700 cities across America. Started in 2006, the Million Father March has become a special day that fathers and men use to make a commitment to their children, their families, their communities and their country with their dynamic presence at a school.